07.30 – My alarm clock rings, a new day has arrived. I get out of bed and get ready. After a quick breakfast, I kiss my boyfriend goodbye and catch the train from Utrecht to Amsterdam Zuid. On the way, my thoughts don't stand still either.
09.20 – I meet my fellow students not at the VU, but at the Stadsloket Zuid of the municipality of Amsterdam. For the subjects Dynamics of Polarisation and Inclusion and Governance and Algorithms in Care and Welfare, I have been working with a number of students, together with the municipality, on the question of how many houses in the private rental sector are wheelchair accessible and how this accessibility can be improved. We are rounding off the subjects today with a final presentation.
09.30 – Before walking to the meeting room, we quickly discussed the case study. To answer our research question, we applied various research methods. For example, machine learning and R skills, an open-source programming language and environment for statistical calculations and visualisations. With these research methods, you can develop an algorithm to evaluate how many houses are wheelchair accessible.
09.40 – We present our findings. Our research reminds me very much of the theory we covered during the Big Problems course in this master's. Professor Yarin Eski explained during one of the first lessons how society is made up of wicked problems: problems that are so complex and diverse that there is no one easy solution. Working out this applied case study for the municipality of Amsterdam again demonstrates this, but also that what we learn during the Master's degree in Sociology is useful to actually make a difference in our society.
11.00 – The presentation is over. We give each other a celebratory high five: I am pleased with and proud of our work.
11.30 – We leave for the VU campus to study together. On the way, we chat about all the (exciting) new developments in our lives. We have become not only fellow students, but also a close group of friends.
12.30 – In a study room, we do preparatory reading for the new courses Advanced Methods 2 and Research Integrity & Responsible Scholarship that we get next semester.
15.30 – We will end the day together with a coffee in the campus square.
16.30 – Satisfied, I wander off towards home.
19.00 – Time for relaxation! Out of my head, into my body: at the gym, I unwind. After an intensive workout, I relax in the sauna.
21.00 – At home, I crawl in front of the TV for a while with my Playstation.
23.00 – Game over. Time to go to bed, another day tomorrow!